This past week on Good Friday, G.O.D. Int’l was blessed to receive a wonderful gift. All 35 employees from Rio Grande Fence Company put in over 200 volunteer hours to install a 560 linear foot, 6 foot galvanized chain link fence around our sports field – FREE of charge!

The G.O.D. International banner was a huge surprise the day of the project, also provided by Rio Grande Fence Co. We love it!

The project was part of an annual commitment Rio Grande has made to bless a deserving nonprofit in the Nashville area by doing a project on Good Friday each year. After G.O.D. was recommended by Mid-State Sports League, Rio Grande looked into our organization’s commitment to community service in the Nashville area and our service to the marginalized in impoverished areas around the world. Greatly encouraged by our commitment and mission, they chose to donate a fence for our athletic field that has become home to a youth sports league, recess and physical education activities at our K-12 Academy, as well as a venue for neighborhood outreach in Hopewell.

A Time Lapse Video of the Fence Project

Derek Smith, Vice President of Operations and third generation owner of the commercial fence company said of the project’s motivation, "We believe in demonstrating through our actions the faith and ethics my grandfather founded Rio Grande Fence upon 58 years ago. Our commitment to quality work and service for our clients and in the community translates into our employees' quality of life. How we operate our business and live our lives testifies to our grounding faith that solid principles are the bedrock of everything we do," Smith said.

The crew started the project at 8:20 and finished at 9:30 – 560 feet of fence in just over an hour. And they did it all while laughing and having a good time along the way. Members of our community frequented the field, showing appreciation for not only the fence materials but also the labor, armed with offerings of cookies and coffee on a chilly morning.

After the crew finished installing the fence, they enjoyed playing football and soccer on the field along with a few of our staff. We capped the day off by showing a small token of appreciation by providing them lunch. It was a wonderful day where two organizations were able to work together to provide a practical need to be enjoyed by so many. Thank you again Rio Grande, and God Bless You!